1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component mounting apparatus that picks up an electronic component from an electronic component supply device and mounts the electronic component on a printed board.
2. Description of the Related Art
To respond to a wider range of functions required of electronic devices, the number of electronic components required is on the increase. These electronic components are mounted on printed boards and then incorporated into the electronic device. The ability of the mounting apparatus to mount how many components and how many different types of components on a printed board within a predetermined period of time greatly affects the cost of the electronic device.
JP-A-2006-286707 discloses an apparatus that picks up an electronic component through suction using a mounting head having a plurality of nozzles from a component supply device and mounts the electronic component on a printed board. The mounting head is mounted on a movable element disposed on a beam that extends in an x-direction (hereinafter referred to as the “x-beam”), the movable element being capable of moving in the x-direction. The x-beam is mounted on a movable element disposed on a beam that extends in a y-direction (hereinafter referred to as the “y-beam”), the movable element being capable of moving in the y-direction. Each of these movable elements is moved by a linear motor or a pulse motor to a desired position based on a command issued from a host computer and picks up or mounts a component.
JP-A-2006-286707 also describes that the component supply device is disposed on each of both sides of the printed board and, to respond to this arrangement, the component mounting head is also mounted on each of both sides of the printed board for the increased component mounting speed. JP-A-2006-286707 further describes that, to prevent reduction in production efficiency when a specific type of component is used frequently, components having a high use frequency are disposed dispersedly in the component supply device.
JP-A-2004-47818 discloses an arrangement, in which a plurality of heads is disposed on the x-beam to thereby increase the speed at which the electronic component is picked up from the electronic component supply device and the electronic component is mounted on the printed board.